The first place Baltimore Orioles expanded their roster by signing a veteran utility player and reliever. Utility man Niko Goodrum and reliever Burch Smith landed on the free-agent market last week. Goodrum cleared waivers with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Miami Marlins let Smith go. These two signings will provide some supplemental depth for the Oreos. The Orioles are not wasting any time and making use of boosting their already hot roster.
Orioles Sign MLB Veterans To Minor League Deal
The O's signed infielder Niko Goodrum and right-hander Burch Smith today.
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Orioles Take Advantage of Free Agent Market
Goodrum Bites The Dust
32-year-old Veteran Goodrum has certainly made his way across many teams in MLB. He has been with five different organizations this season. His movement across the cluster of teams commenced during Spring Training earlier this season. He has spent time with the Minnesota Twins, Houston Astros, LA Angels, Pittsburgh Pirates, and The Tampa Bay Rays. The versatile switch-hitter has made 13 appearances with the Rays and Angels in the majors. His numbers weren’t that impressive as he slashed .103/.188/.103 and recorded three walks with 10 punchouts. Regarding Goodman’s time spent in the Minors, across 75 at-bats, he had better numbers, slashing .270/.387/.444. He also went yard three times and walked 11 times.
His career numbers indicate that he’s slashed .224/.297/.383 and has much experience, with over 1600 appearances at the plate. Goodrum also has international experience with baseball. In the 2023 season, he spent time playing in Korea. During that time, he slashed .295/.373/.387 across 201 appearances at the plate. Goodrum is a solid depth pickup for The O’s as his most vital asset is that he can placed at multiple positions, eliminating catcher and center fielder.
Smith Finds A New Home
Burch started his MLB career with the San Diego Padres in 2013. The 34-year-old veteran Smith pitched about 29 innings with the Marlins in the 2023 season. Before taking advantage of a boosted mobility clause with the Marlins, the righty reliever hung around camp with the Devil Rays through a non-roster contract. The manager of the Marlins, Skip Schumaker, permitted Smith to pitch in situations of less tense games and momentum as a reliever.
He sported an impressive 47% grounder percentage but an average ERA of 4.25. But he successfully took down 17% of batters by striking them out, with an 8.6% swinging strike rate. His time spent with the Marlins is the most experience he has had in the Majors. Similar to Goodrum, he also spent time in Korea last season. But his playing time was limited to only one start following an injury to his shoulder.
On another positive note, his velocity has revamped in 2024, and his four-seam fastball has also progressed and looks appealing at 94.4 mph. The plan is to have him start in Triple-A Norfolk and then make his way toward pitching at Camden Yards as a middle reliever.
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